THE Road’s first ever two-day Test match against the London Itinerants ended in a draw as the Orange Caps rued a series of dropped catches on a scorching weekend in Richmond.

Buoyant and full of confidence despite losing the toss, the boys from Battersea took to the field at Old Deer Park for the first over with a swagger.

And their early optimism was quickly justified by a breakthrough just eight balls into the match.

But after a total of 102 overs in the field – including ten dropped catches – the Orange Caps ended the match shuffling off the pitch with little to cheer.

Only Lomas Persad’s first innings 82 and Jamie Keating’s quick fire 57 not out in the second innings will go down as good scores in the record books.

On the first day LICCs posted a first innings total of 268 off 57 overs with Ravi Ogale and Freddie Walker making 72 and 53 respectively, helped along the way with drops at extra cover, mid wicket, mid on and mid off.

After being 0 for 1 – Dixon having fallen LBW to Kevin Pittaway – LICCs recovered well to snaffle 51 runs before losing their second wicket.

Sham de Silva took an excellent reflex catch at slip off Matt Glover’s bowling to send back Chris Jeffreys for 27, one of seven catches KRCSC did manage to take.

But as the temperature rose, so did the pressure on The Road. The third wicket partnership of Ogale and Bradshaw was finally broken after 102 runs with Raju Mazumder catching off captain Matt Cocken to dislodged Bradshaw for 36.

The dangerman Ogale was next to fall, eventually being caught Glover off Pittaway, leaving LICCs 182 for 4, but as he walked in, Walker walked out only to inflict more pain on the slightly singed Orange Caps.

The Road’s impact bowler Dan Howard took the scalp of Behl, as he gloved through to keeper Dan Sherman for 24, leaving the LICCs on 207 for 5 and The Road to attack the tail.

However, another 61 important runs were added to the LICCs total thanks to a rearguard attack from Walker.

Batters seven through to eleven added only 11 runs as Walker marched onto make 53 before being caught Persad off Pittaway for the tenth wicket.

Glover was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 57 off 14 including an athletic caught and bowled, Pittaway also got 3 for 38 of 7.1 and Persad bagged 1 for 51 off 14 while Cocken, Howard and de Silva all picked up wickets.

An exhausted KRCSC then set about attacking 268 with 33 overs remaining in the day. Eleven balls in, disaster struck: Mazumder was bowled Walker without troubling the scorers.

Cocken and Sherman put on a gritty partnership lasting 17 overs on a wicket that was quickly disintegrating before the skipper was eventually bowled for 31 off Behl.

The next over Sherman was bowled Dixon for 15 by a ball that kept low. By the 20th over KRCSC were 65 for 3, but with Persad and de Silva in the middle runs started to come freely.

After hitting a boundary to bring the 100 up for The Road, the soon-to-be wed de Silva got down on one knee (again) to take a ‘Keating swipe’ on a full toss only to be bowled for 16 by Wein.

Will Gledhill then stepped in to make a plucky 12 before joining Sham in the Wein(er) wicket column. With four overs left in the day, KRCSC were on the ropes at 117 for 5. But enter Dan Howard.

As Persad looked majestic in the middle, hitting boundary after boundary including an effortless 6, Howard played an important role steadying the other end at a key moment of the match.

At the close of the first day, KRCSC were 125 for 5 overnight.

Second day started in much the same way as the first ended, Persad getting runs with Howard playing a supporting role.

However, after 14 overs, 59 runs and plenty of rallying cries of ‘Fear the Beard!’ the Persad-Howard partnership came to an end. Howard was caught by beard doppelganger Simon Harrington for 9.

King’s Road were 176 for 6 and 92 behind.

Glover went cheaply for 5 following an LBW decision he disputed. The next over KRCSC were in real trouble. Without adding to the score following Glover’s departure Persad was caught Wein, bowled Crawford for 82. KRCSC were agonisingly 195 for 8.

Jamie Keating and James Couldrey took The Road to 210 before Keating exited for 7 caught Wein, bowled Walker.

Obviously willing to get on with the second innings, Pittaway walked in and faced one ball, edging to the keeper before strolling back.

The innings ended with King’s Road trailing the LICCs by 58, and Pittaway’s first over showed why he was so eager to get his hands on the ball.

His teammates though didn’t seem quite as keen as they dropped two catches in four balls.

The breakthrough eventually came from Glover, who having endured drops as well, bowled both Bradshaw and Walker for 9.

Glover struck for a third time, drawing Ogale on the off stump only for him to snick the ball behind and be expertly caught by Sherman diving low, at full stretch to the right. The LICCs’ first innings top scorer was out for 13.

Behl was next out for 30, after an excellent catch from Couldrey at long on after the ball seemed to hang in the air for an eternity. This was the first of three wickets for Persad. The others were Dodman caught Keating for 2 and Dixon LBW for 45.

But the Orange Caps were woeful in the field again, despite the team giving their blood, sweat and tears. Almost literally in the case of Mazumder who while attempting to stop a boundary, took another ball in the gentlemen veg. Sadly the sacrifice was in vain and the ball trickled for four.

LICCs kept The Road in the field for a total of 45 overs on the second day before they declared on 153 for 6, both Jeffreys and Harrington (26 and 1 respectively) were not out. For the second innings, Glover posted figures of 3 for 42 off 16 and Persad 3 for 26 off 7.

KRCSC had 20 overs remaining in the day to knock off 212. And in pootled the Bear.

Opening the batting with de Silva, Keating savaged the LICCs bowling with 57 not out off 48 balls to make his maiden half century for the club.

At the other end de Silva was caught for a very unfortunate two ball duck that was arguably a no ball. This decision, coming on top of the revelation that de Silva is ranked both 199th bowler and batsman (out of 199) in the LPL stats, sparked grumblings from the Sri Lankan about possible retirement.

De Silva was overheard saying ‘I just don’t think it is worth it anymore’.

Sherman, trying to keep up with Keating, was caught Dixon off Walker for 8, and Mazumder was 3 not out.

With seven overs remaining The Road were on 76 for 2. With the game going nowhere, and with both sides’ T-shirt tans topped up to the max, the captains shook hands and the match was drawn.